West Pullman

Living in Hyde Park when I attended University of Chicago, I drove through West Pullman a few times. I was not very impressed. This is an unattractive neighborhood that is pretty industrial. I don't think it would be a very healthy living environment by any means. Also quite a lot of the shootings and murders you hear about in Chicago take place in West Pullman, so I definitely can't give it more than one star for safety.

In the 20's it seems that this neighborhood was more of a thriving place. It was packed with people from different ethnicities including people from Poland, Hungary and Lithuania. After all, this neighborhood is pretty conveniently located and not too far from downtown. However, there have been some major changes since that time.

One of the reasons that West Pullman is so rundown now, is that it actually has some problems with toxicity due to the different industrial plants (mostly shut down now.) Residents have experienced health problems.

However, on the bright side, the area hosts a huge solar plant. It generates energy that supports over 1000 homes in Chicago. Also there is West Pullman Park, which offers some respite from the dreary surroundings.

Once one of the most popular areas of Chicago, unfortunately this area remains to be one of the most industrial and crowded areas of the southern parts of Chicago. With houses very tightly packed together, and factories shut down but still standing, this area of Chicago seems to be very "dirty" and a neighborhood that would be best to just drive through. Poor school systems, averaged priced and affordable homes but not the safest of areas by any means.

West Pullman is a South side neighborhood of Chicago with little going on. I've been through the area a few times, and I was never particularly impressed. I'm just going to jump right into my main bullet points for the area, because there is so little that is memorable.

Residence
The homes in West Pullman are mostly old, and many looked in need of serious renovation. I noticed a mix of houses with some yard/land area, and then homes just shoved right next to each other to save on space. I know that the average price of a home in West Pullman is reasonable, but I suspect that the resale value will also be fairly low. It isn't particularly close to the Loop, but it isn't that far either.

Transportation
Like most of Chicago, public transportation is pretty good, and the trains in particular will serve you well. I'd say it's about a half hour train ride into the Loop. Not bad, but not exactly walking distance. Parking was fairly scarce during my visits, and most homes had no garages, so their cars were on the street.

Dining/Shopping
Nothing memorable whatsoever. I actually did a Google search because I couldn't remember a single place as fair as retail shopping goes. The best available option was a Radio Shack. No one is going to West Pullman for the shopping. Dining is a similar experience, and while there are a few bars, they are pretty low key, and won't provide much of a nightlife.

I'm ranking West Pullman fairly low. The one thing I'll say for the area is that I didn't feel particularly unsafe for the lower income housing available. Usually, these areas of Chicago are a 'no go' for me, and West Pullman didn't exactly fit in with that. Of course, it ended up being a no go because there was nothing for me to visit for.